Form F: Health officials face action for non-compliance

The state health department will take strict action against civil surgeons in rural areas and civic health officials in cities if sonography centres in their respective areas fail to file form ‘F’ online.

Filing of form ‘F’ is mandatory as it records detailed information like name, address, number of children with their sex and the previous obstetric history of the pregnant woman undergoing ultrasound scan. "Strict action will be initiated against the appropriate authorities if the sonography centres do not comply with form ‘F’ formalities on the designated government website by August 31," the state health department’s latest order said. Civil surgeons and municipal corporation health officials have been ordered to inform in writing to all centres that legal action would be taken against them starting September 1, 2013, if they fail to fill the form.

Vikas Kharge, state mission director of National Rural Health Mission and commissioner of State Family Welfare Bureau, reviewed the status of online filing of form ‘F’ in the state and issued the orders on August 21.

"A review of the number of centres registered on Mahaonline for filing form ‘A’ and form ‘F’ was carried out. But the figures did not add up as many civil surgeons and health officials have not been keeping track of online submission of the forms on the website," a state health official, who refused to be named, said.

Officials have been instructed to call owners and doctors of sonography centres which have not been filling the form and guide and warn them regarding the regulations. Failure to comply will be considered as violation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (prevention of sex determination) (PCPNDT) Act.

The state has as many as 8,989 registered sonography clinics, of which 5,831 are active. "About 60% sonography centre operators use the online facility. Efforts are on to motivate all the centres to use the online system," Asaram Khade, consultant to the state on PCPNDT Act, said.

The Central Supervisory Board, chaired by Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, recently approved a new format for the form. The new format was prepared by a 12-member experts’ committee, which was set up in July. The modified form ‘F’ is divided into four sections, is simpler to understand and is expected to reduce the ambiguity which doctors face while filing the existing form, experts said.

Observations & instructions issued on August 21

Filing of form ‘F’ online not being done by appropriate authorities despite strict orders

Many centres in urban areas of Nagpur and rural parts of Pune have not been filing form ‘F’

All civil surgeons and municipal health officials have online access to monitor online filing of form ‘F’ by sonography centres in their respective areas. But no analysis has been done on the data collected

Online data should match physical reports. Any difference merits an explanation as per section 20 (1) of the PCPNDT Act

Civil surgeons and municipal health officials should carry out checks through decoys

Strict action will be taken against civil surgeons/municipal corporation health officials if all sonography centres under their jurisdiction do not comply with online filing of the form by August 31, 2013

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